What is Sociological Theory in Juvenile Delinquency

Sociological theories of juvenile delinquency point to societal factors and social processes that in
turn affect human behavior. Unlike other explanations, sociology explains people’s behavior using
characteristics beyond the individual. Mostly, sociological theories assert that certain negative aspects
of neighborhoods and society in general serve as structural inducements for young people to resort to
juvenile delinquency. In this way, sociological theories tend to ignore or deny individual-level
psychological differences that might partially explain who engages in delinquency.

It’s ideal for understanding delinquency because it has become one of the major theories in
understanding delinquent and youth antisocial behaviors, in general, that is determined by that
connection to people in the creation of a relationship are important factors in delinquency. They learn to
engage in crime, primarily through their association with others. They are reinforced for crime, they
learn beliefs that are favorable to crime, and they are exposed to criminal models. As a consequence,
they come to view crime as something that is desirable or at least justifiable in certain situations.
According to social learning theory, juveniles learn to engage in crime in the same way they learn to
engage in conforming behavior: through association with or exposure to others. Primary or intimate
groups like the family and peer group have an especially large impact on what we learn. In fact,
association with delinquent friends is the best predictor of delinquency other than prior delinquency.
However, one does not have to be in direct contact with others to learn from them; for example, one
may learn to engage in violence from observation of others in the media.

One of the most prominent sociological theories is the social disorganization theory developed
by Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay (1942), who suggested that juvenile delinquency was caused by the
neighborhood in which a person lived. Instead of focusing on individual traits, Shaw and McKay studied
the impact of the kinds of places, such as neighborhoods, that created conditions favorable to
delinquency.

According to social learning theory, juveniles learn to engage in crime in the same way they
learn to engage in conforming behavior: through association with or exposure to others. Primary or
intimate groups like the family and peer group have an especially large impact on what we learn. In fact,
association with delinquent friends is the best predictor of delinquency other than prior delinquency.
However, one does not have to be in direct contact with others to learn from them; for example, one
may learn to engage in violence from observation of others in the media.

They are reinforced for crime, they learn beliefs that are favorable to crime, and they are
exposed to criminal models. As a consequence, they come to view crime as something that is desirable
or at least justifiable in certain situations.

If people have a strong emotional attachment to conventional others, like family members and
teachers, they have more to lose by engaging in crime. Their crime may upset people they care about,
cause them to think badly of them, and possibly disrupt their relationship with them. Studies generally
confirm the importance of this bond. Individuals who report that they love and respect their parents and
other conventional figures usually commit fewer crimes. Individuals who do not care about their parents
or others, however, have less to lose by engaging in crime.